


Midnight Man

by emsd01



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, It's Tokyo Ghoul After All
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 10:51:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15795009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emsd01/pseuds/emsd01
Summary: "In the eve of the Sunlit, oh how the children do cry."Lack of an education, out-of-place one-liners and a terrible sense of justice are just some of the few things that make Lorenz Ilse a terrible Ghoul Investigator. Despite all of this, at the age of twenty-four, she is promoted to Rank 1 Investigator. Also, trying too hard to impress her older brother and failing to control her younger brother are just another of the few things that make Lorenz Ilse the best damn Investigator in the whole of Tokyo! Or rather, things begin to tear at the seams when the cute boy Lorenz Ilse sits behind in English Lit suddenly shows up to class with an eyepatch and an apparent new set of taste buds.Rated M to be safe.





	1. The Midnight Man

**Author's Note:**

> COMPLETE Manga Spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul: Re.
> 
> Violence, cannibalism, sexual themes, swearing, and other standard Tokyo Ghoul themes. You have been warned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilse ruins Kishou's jacket, learns of a falling-beam threat, and briefly considers a lifestyle change. All in the span of a few hours.

Despite the heavy rain, cracks of thunder, and strong winds that had ripped the umbrella out of her hands an [embarrassing] number of times; Lorenz Ilse was having a good day. The dark, damp grey trench-coat engulfed her thin frame, sticking slightly to her in an uncomfortable way. Her pale fingers gripped her umbrella's handle tight, making sure not to let go this time, as she walked down the busy streets of the 1st Ward.

Unlike most Wards, the 1st was typically quite lacking in a general public. Due to it being the home of the main CCG Office, most would think it would be a hotspot for civilians, as the Ward was easily the safest out of all of them. But, apparently, being around the almost military-like Investigators brought upon a lot of discomfort in the general public.

The people were afraid of them. Not the Ghouls. _Them_. The good guys! Or so, most Investigators liked to believe. Ilse, personally, didn't really care much about morals or the fight of good against evil. All she really wanted was a nice big, fat paycheck to provide for her meals and easy life [well, a life as easy as it can get when you fight the living embodiment of the monster in a child's closet. Seriously, why does no one ever talk about how _horrific_ looking Ghouls are?] But, Ghoul Investigators tended to have a kind of presence to them. Like they've stared into the gates of Hell, and the gates of Hell stared right back up at them. Either way, Ilse didn't mind, all it meant was that no one would to bother her so long as she wore her big, puffy coat and carried her Quinque by her side.

"Lorenz-san!"

The woman halted, glancing back over her shoulder and brushing back the blonde hair that stuck to her cheek, reaching down to her shoulders. Her green eyes peered curiously down the street she had been walking, landing on another Investigator as he ran towards her. He stopped before her, hands clutching his knees as he breathed out heavily. Ilse tilted her head, _'Wow. Dude's really gotta work out.'_

"Lorenz-san!" He stood up straight, smiling in relief. "I'm so glad I caught up with you before you left. Special Class Arima-san has returned and, well, you asked me to inform you of when—"

Ilse cut him off, a smile widening on her freckled cheeks as she reached out and grabbed his hands. "Thanks, man!" She shook his hand wildly, leaning forward a little too far into his personal space. "I owe you one!"

He quickly drew his hand back, spluttering awkwardly. "It's... It's no issue, Lorenz-san. I—"

She interjected once more, hands falling to her hips. "Hey, while I've got ya here. What was the name of the next operation? The one by the sea?"

"Operation A-64," he peered down at her in confusion. "S3 has been assigned to it. Weren't you at the briefing, Lorenz-san?"

"Yeah, but I fell asleep." She straightened up, smiling again. "Thanks, that must be what Kishou wants."

The other Investigator seemed almost offended by how casually Ilse addressed her superior officer, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. Only holding her hand out to give him one last enthusiastic handshake, using both her hands. "Thanks, I'll _sea_ you later." She winked, before quickly dashing off, chuckling into her enclosed fist.

She briefly heard the investigator whisper, "They keep getting younger and younger." Likely thinking she wouldn't hear him from such a distant, but she did and smiled a little wider.

Now having turned around to walk back to the 1st Ward's Office, she found herself walking down the familiar path. The wind was already beginning to settle down, the rain reduced to a soft pitter against her bright yellow umbrella, and the storm cloud had begun to shift overhead. Still, she clutched the handle tight, definitely not wanting another recap of earlier. As she approached the entrance, many unfamiliar Investigators greeted her, to which she would bow lowly as she had been taught. This usually left them quite flustered, but she would simply smile and continue on. People who did know her seemed to avoid greeting her, but Ilse didn't notice them, already having spotted the familiar shock of white hair.

Her smile widened. _'Brother!'_

She wanted to call out but knew she wasn't allowed, any blood relation to any of her half-siblings was strictly kept between the family and no one else. It upset Ilse; that her family wasn't a real family. But to her, despite having [probably] hundreds of half-siblings, only two of them were ever her real family. One of which, her own personal certified badass, was the older man she currently half-jogged towards.

"Kishou!" She smiled up at him. Just because she couldn't call him brother, didn't mean she was going to call him by a surname they didn't share.

He spun around in a fluid motion, the faintest of smiles appearing on his face, it made Ilse giddy at the sight of it, but she resisted the urge to tackle him in public in congratulations [for being a real human being, good on you Kishou!]. Besides, Koori Ui had already begun glaring her down.

"Rank 1 Lorenz, hello." His cool voice cut the silence, dark eyes regarding anything that wasn't his Hairu Ihei with hostility and suspicion.

"Associate Special Class Koori, hello." Ilse mocked, unintentionally. She was surprised when Ui's lips curled up in distaste, as she had only done it to be proper.

"Ilse," Kishou spoke with as much affection as he could manage, which was basically his normal monotone voice to anyone who didn't know him. Fortunately [or unfortunately] Ui did and looked agitated by it.

"You sent some random investigator," Ilse joked, hands innocently clasping behind her back. His grey eyes judged her cooly from behind his glasses, slowly gliding over her figure and down to the puddle of rainwater she had left in her wake.

"You're soaking wet." He stated, arms moving to cross over his chest.

Ilse beamed up at him, "Yes, _but_ on the bright side; free cleaning service!" She thrust her arms up, waves of blonde hair bouncing gently as she did.

Ui let out a loud sigh, pinching the bridge between his brows as he rested his elbow in other his hand. By this point, a few investigators had stopped to stare quizzically at the soaked investigator who was beginning to resemble a wet mutt. Most of them moved on, however, when they noticed their _Reaper_ standing casually in amongst the middle of it all.

Kishou said nothing, simply holding out his hand, open palm faced upwards. Ui stared at it curiously, while Ilse sighed. She looked down to her coat and began unbuttoning it, her teeth chattering from the cold; a mix between her soaked rags and the blasting aircon. She pulled off the coat, crinkling her nose in disgust as it stuck to her skin, before holding it out to Kishou and placing it in his hand.

A few people gawked at this, a few others saw nothing out of the ordinary. Ui sighed again, not caring if anyone heard, full well knowing he would be here for a while if Kishou was about to start 'mothering' Ilse. The twenty-four-year-old woman was a bit immature at times, but Ui had always known her to be independent. Arima, however, seemed to still see her as the awkward looking teen from the Academy; one that constantly needed his attention and mothering.

Ilse found it cute; Kishou mothered her, and she mothered her younger brother. It was a weird mother-hen chain, one that sadly ended with her slightly [very] psychopathic little brother; who could barely mother himself let alone another human life.

Ilse had been reduced to her white button-up shirt, that was tucked into her simple dress pants. Even with her rolled up sleeves, exposing her freckled skin, she would have looked quite professional. That would be the case if not for her thick leather boots that completely ruined the look. But Ilse loved those boots, and so those boots stayed.

All could have been left there, except Ilse had poorly chosen to wear a brightly coloured dotted brassiere to work today. Added with the soaked thin shirt; she found Ui turning away in embarrassment. Ilse wouldn't mind walking home in such a state, especially when it earned such amusing reactions from people, but Kishou would not. He handed her his own coat, which he usually had tucked under his arm. She smiled up at him in gratitude, quickly slipping inside for warmth, which it quickly provided. Ilse imagined she looked quite comical, standing in Kishou's oversized coat, and giggled at the thought [something that _definitely_ looked creepy to others].

If they had been in any other Ward, the action of Kishou [silently] fussing over Ilse would have earned a mass number of onlookers. But within the 1st Ward, where Kishou and Ilse were both typically stationed, Kishou's random bursts of affection [which were limited to an awkward pat on the head for a job well done] were not uncommon. To others, they seemed like close friends. To Ilse, every head pat was another step further to having a genuine sibling relationship with Kishou, who, after everything he'd been through, deserved nothing less.

"Thanks, Kishou." Ilse smiled up at him, words muffled behind her collar. Ui bristled at the informality but knew Arima didn't mind. In fact, Kishou gave Ilse another one of his famously awkward head pats, which caused her expression to brighten.

"Arima-san," Ui cut in, painfully politely. "The meeting will begin soon."

"Ah!" Ilse perked up. "What'd you want again?"

Kishou shook his head silently. Handing back her coat and umbrella [that he had so graciously offered to hold]. "Go home," he told her simply. "I'll inform you later."

" _Eh_?" Ilse blinked, lips forming into a pout. "So I came all the way back here for nothing?"

He lifted up her coat slightly in a silent message, and she sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ilse took back the coat, "You got me there, Kishou."

Ilse's shoulders slumped in defeat before she suddenly perked back up. "Hey, have you heard from Souta? He's not texting me back."

Ui's face visibly contorted into a look of confusion at the unfamiliar name. If Kishou was anyone else but Kishou, he would have become annoyed by Ilse's casual break of the Garden's rules; but he didn't. Simply shaking his head to his sister's question.

Ilse's face fell. Sighing, "I didn't think so."

"I just hope that stupid clown has gotten himself killed," she puckered her lips in annoyance. Then, Ilse lifted up her arm, holding up the wet cloak in her hands. "Now, _Jester_ me to a coatrack that I can hang this on."

Ui let out a deep sigh, " _Arima-san._ "

Kishou didn't respond, while Ilse grinned proudly. He reached out to pat her head once more, before dropping it back to his side. "Go home," he ordered her, the same authorial tone he used during operations. Ilse nodded, before turning to Ui and giving the man a deep bow. She winked at Kishou, before spinning around and rushing off, ignoring the trail of water she left behind.

Once she was out of the building, she whipped out her phone and opened her contacts. She clicked into favourites, eyes gliding passed 'Badassiest Brother!' and landing on 'SOUTAAAAA' [equipped with several brightly coloured heart symbols]. She opened up the chat, fingers tapping on the touchscreen as she typed.

 **5:43 PM:** ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW OR I'M CALLING MUM

The reply was almost instant.

**5:44 PM:** _ME_

Ilse clicked her tongue, picturing his mocking grin behind the screen. Souta had always been far too good at manipulating people, and unfortunately, his ever-doting elder sister was the perfect target for his boredom. Thankfully, Souta didn't get bored too often.

A bored Souta was a dangerous Souta.

 **5:44 PM:** Why have you been ignoring me?

Again, his reply was lightning fast.

**5:45 PM:** _I do happen to live a life outside of your own, sister dear._

Even when he texted, he still used that stupid nickname. What had once been an endearing title when he was cute and harmless, now had become the bane of her existence. He was _sassing_ her, and he knew she hated that more than anything.

_'Two can play at that game.'_

**5:47 PM:** Busy stalking Rize again?

This time, his reply wasn't as fast. The three bouncing bubbles continued to appear and disappear. Besides Kishou, Souta was the only person who knew Ilse better than herself. However, the same worked in reverse. Ilse had practically raised Souta, which meant she had more dirt on him than anyone else. He knew how to push her buttons, but she knew how to completely destroy his. Just as she was beginning to regret being so harsh, he texted back.

**5:53 PM:** _Watch out for falling beams._

Ilse couldn't deny the chill that ran down her spine. _'Falling beams? What the hell is that supposed to mean?'_

 **5:53 PM:** What are you on about?

No response.

 **5:54 PM:** Tell me Souta

 **5:54 PM:** Souta

 **5:54 PM:** Souta!

 **5:55 PM:** WASHUU FURUTA SOUTA ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW

Ilse was known to be a dramatic texter, but even she regretted that message the moment she had sent it. She huffed, the sudden urge to throw her phone across the street was strong but she resisted it. She would get no further response from Souta tonight, especially since she not only used his real name but his full name. Souta hated the name Souta, but more than that he hated the name Furuta.

A bastard's name for a bastard child.

Despite knowing it was best to let Souta calm down, especially considering he became a bit murder-y when he was angry, Ilse knew she couldn't do it. With anyone else, definitely, but not with Souta. The guilt would eat her alive.

 **6:01 PM:** Goodnight Kichimura.

 _'There,'_ she smiled. _'Hopefully using his given name will make him a little happier.'_

Now, all Ilse had to do was watch out for falling beams, and the laughing clown behind them.

"And now, I have to worry about Rize all over again." She sighed, yellow umbrella up and above her head as she walked down the street, the sun beginning to set up ahead. "I thought I got rid of that psycho years ago." If only her little brother could love nice, sane women. But maybe that was asking too much, considering her little brother isn't the sanest of men.

She lifted up her trench-coat, opening up one of the pockets and pulling out a slightly damp flyer. The bold writing clearly printed across the front, she read it with a frown.

**'KAMII UNIVERSITY OPEN DAY'**

All Ilse had wanted to do was tell Kishou about the open day, but now she had more important things to do. First her work with CCG, and now this. It seemed Ilse couldn't catch a break.

_'Maybe I'm not cut out for Uni. This is probably some freaky sign.'_

Sighing, Ilse scrunched up the flyer, and as she continued on forward, she threw it into the nearest trash can. Looking away just as it shrivelled up, ink dripping away with the rain.


	2. Inchoate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Ilse wanted to do was get something to eat, go home and try to forget about the mountain of paperwork waiting for her back at the office. Fate, or more accurately Ghouls, seem to have other plans for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hairu does NOT get enough appreciation.

The 1st Ward was a little quieter at night, the crowds beginning to thin just after the sun had set, and small businesses peppered throughout the area already starting to close shop. When Ilse walked down the cracked footpath, she tended to look up to the office lights above, wondering what the people inside were up to.

_'Maybe spy work,'_ she smiled slightly at the childish thought.

Due to the 1st Ward being home to CCG's main base of operations, any and most people who lived in the area had something to do with the CCG. Like Ilse, for example, the recently promoted Rank 1 Investigator who lived up in a tiny apartment a good half an hour away from her work. Kishou lived nearby as well, albeit in a much nicer place. Souta owned an apartment close to the CCG, but Ilse had been by it enough times over the years to know he rarely frequented it.

She strolled down the damp street, boots splashing up puddles; a remnant of the brief shower that still had her shivering. The slight grumbling of her empty stomach stirring a thought. _'Should I get something to eat first?'_ She pondered, twirling the yellow umbrella in her hands. The young woman had returned back to her apartment, stayed for approximately seven minutes before jumping up and leaving, becoming antsy sitting still in her home. She had embarked in a quiet walk through the Ward and swinging her yellow umbrella, that she had brought just in case, back and forth.

The slight static hum of a broken electronic restaurant sign caught her attention, and her stomach made the final decision for her. She climbed inside, the door letting out a soft jingle as it swung open, and approached the counter, eyes focusing on the display board of food above.

_'Korean BBQ?'_ She read to herself, lips quirking up into a smile. _'Gotta tell Kishou 'bout this.'_

"Hello, how may I help you?" A voice approached her, and she looked down to greet the friendly server.

"Hiya." Ilse smiled politely, moving closer as she clasped her umbrella behind her with both her hands. "You guys new? Haven't seen you 'round here."

The worker smiled and chatted away, it all soon became white noise to Ilse, who quickly ordered some food to go before settling down by the window to wait. Her hand reached to clasp around the handle of her briefcase out of habit before she realised she had left it back on her couch.

_'Ah, well. What's gonna go wrong in the 1st Ward?'_ [Ominous.]

She briefly toyed with her phone, fingers tapping away on a small game she played to pass the time. Soon, her order had been called and the food was thrust into her hands. Ilse staggered back a bit at the sheer urgency before she was all but shooed off. Perhaps, if it had been any other Investigator red flags would have been raised. But what would be seen as suspicious to most instead flew right over the blonde's head. It hadn't been until she was halfway out the door and the shrill scream of a possible victim pierced the silence; did it finally settle in.

_'Ghouls?'_ Ilse perked her head up slightly, hand resting on the glass of the door as she ceased mid-action of exiting it. [Who is dumb enough to set up shop here?]

The famous 'intuition' that some of the more senior investigators like Mado Kureo had, Ilse, did not. Subtly was not a word in her vocabulary, and the ability to read a room was not one of her many skills. _'Should I just leave?'_ The option was something she was genuinely considering. Ilse could simply just turn around and continue on her way. So long as she didn't see anything, she wasn't obligated by law to do anything. ' _But Kishou would be so disappointed…'_

[Can't have that.]

Before her internal debate could come to an end, she heard the employee, who had served her earlier, sigh loudly. Her head snapped back at the noise and her blonde hair had only just begun to slap against her cheek as the brilliant fluorescent colouring of a Kagune began to blossom. Hard, jagged claw-like limbs stretched up to the store's ceiling in a gentle, elegant manner that reminded Ilse of a flower opening up in the Springtime.

She had been taken by such surprise at the Ghoul's willingness to blatantly blow his own cover that Ilse barely had a moment to think before a low hissing sound filled the air. Pain ricocheted throughout her body as part of the Kagune _slammed_ into her, flinging her across the shop and sending her smashing into the window. The glass shattered upon impact and Ilse's fingers barely scrapped the frame of the window before her body was flung out into the street. She had only managed to slow down the descent by a few seconds but it was enough to lessen the impact, although the breath was still knocked right out of her when she slammed onto the concrete.

She gasped sharply, pain tingling down her back. Her mind was hazy, not quite registering what was happening as she hunched forward into a fetal position. The tiny shards of glass were littered across her skin, sinking in as she leaned against the hard floor. _'That is gonna hurt in the morning.'_

Ilse lifted her head, breathing only just beginning to return to normalcy as she heard the crunching of glass beneath the Ghoul's shoes, watching him approach her. Her head was still spinning but she managed to scuffle to her feet, slapping her hand to her cheek.

"That was quick reflexes," the Ghoul spoke, head tilted curiously. "I would have suspected you were a Dove if not for your complete lack of attention to your surroundings. Doves, even disarmed ones, wouldn't have fallen for such an attack. None in this Ward, at least."

[Way to rub salt to the wound.]

"That's the plan, then?" Ilse straightened her back, letting out a shaky breath. "You think just 'cause no one would ever think to look here that you can hide in plain sight?"

"Essentially, yes." He shrugged, "It's more effective than you'd think. Well, it _was_. Even after you're dead, we'll still be forced to leave. So, thank you for that."

Ilse smiled politely, nodding her head ever so slightly. "Always happy to help." The Ghoul scowled, unamused. He clearly assumed her to be a simple civilian, merely taunting with his meal for some much-needed amusement. It could work in Ilse's favour, provided she played her cards right. Glancing down at her hand, she saw that she still managed to hold onto her umbrella and she would have that in case of emergencies.

[Just like Kishou.]

_'Fightin' a Ghoul with an umbrella? I could totally do that.'_

"Y'know," Ilse lifted her wrist slowly. "If you'd just kept quiet, I would've let ya go."

She slowly walked forward, ignoring the throbbing pain that travelled down her legs. "But now," Ilse continued, face unusually serious. "I _have_ to deal with you."

"So you _are_ a Dove?" He mused, "I thought you might be from the way you dress, but you must be stupid if you think you can take me on with an _umbrella_."

"Arima Kishou did."

"CCG's _Reaper_?" He burst out into laughter, "What makes _you_ comparable to _the_ Reaper?"

Ilse grinned, "Nothing. I just wanted to distract you."

His face only allowed for a moment's hesitation, mind running wild trying to figure out what she was up to, but in his small pause, Ilse pounced. Armed with absolutely no real plan, she sprinted towards the Ghoul. He reeled back slightly in shock, Kagune lashing out in front of him as his arms formed a blockade to protect himself. However, Ilse ducked in the last moment, dashing to the side of him and managing to get behind him, aiming a forceful kick to his back.

He realised too late what had happened, "What the fu—" And was flung forward, the sheer force sending him barrelling into the shop window on the other side of the road.

Ilse gripped her umbrella tight, breathing out a sigh of relief at the success. Her mind ran a million miles a minute, trying to think up the next course of action. She quickly pulled out her phone, opening her apps and sending out her location. It was a risky gamble, but hopefully, someone nearby would pick up on her intention and send some form of backup.

It could be thirty seconds; it could be five minutes. All Ilse had to do was hold out for as long as she could, with only her umbrella to assist her. Unfortunately, her advantage of being underestimated was definitely over, as was her element of surprise. So, it was time to run and run like crazy.

"I underestimated you," his voice echoed through the empty street, or at least empty on the surface level. "You're definitely no normal Dove."

Ilse ignored him, eyes snapping back to the restaurant as he emerged from the shattered window behind her. There was someone still inside that needed her assistance and as much as Ilse just wanted to run off and find somewhere to sleep away the pain of her injuries, it was her job to help the person. [Especially since now that she heard them, she _had_ to. CCG policies and all.]

"Now, I will—" He cut himself off when he saw Ilse spin around, bursting off into a sprint away from here. "What? Don't run from me, you fucking bitch!"

"Language!" She chided back, before jumping through the shattered window she had been previously thrown through.

Ilse had kicked open the back door of the store just as the Ghoul let out a frustrated cry and she was forced to duck to avoid being hit by a flying table. She wasted no time, leaping down the stairs two at a time with a shaky breath. Ilse found herself bursting into a second room, green eyes scanning the room before finding her target.

It was a young girl, only a few years younger than Ilse herself. Clearly a High School student, she was sobbing softly to herself as she did her best to nurse her bleeding stomach. Well, the best she could with bonded hands. Her head snapped up at the sight of Ilse, pigtails bouncing in an odd match to the blossoming smile of relief on her tanned face.

"Oh my god," pigtails gasped, panicked. "They're here, Ghouls! You have to—"

Ilse ran forward, not even slowing down as she scooped the girl up and flung her over her shoulders effortlessly, just making it in time to jump upwards. Another piece of furniture skidded underneath her, spiralling forward and leaving a dent in the wall from the sheer force of the throw. Ilse had no time to be impressed as the previous Ghoul came charging down the stairs after them, shaking the entire foundation of the building and alerting the second Ghoul who Ilse had no idea of its whereabouts. The blonde smashed down another door, finding yet another staircase upwards in the labyrinth of a building.

_'What kind of building is this place?!'_

She began running up the stairs, ignoring the cries of shock from her guest. Ilse leapt forward, attempting to burst through the final door before she heard the girl scream: _"Look out!"_

Ilse could see from the corner of her eye a tendril of the Kagune shooting straight for the girl over her shoulder, she acted on impulse and pulled her down. The girl's cheeks smashed against her own and the Kagune buried itself into Ilse's shoulder instead of the girl's head. Ilse let out a sharp cry, legs immediately giving in. Just before she fell, Ilse threw the girl forwards; the terrified teenager crying out as she slammed into the door, tumbling back into the street. Ilse collapsed at the top of the stairs, pain blinding her vision.

The Ghoul pulled his Kagune back towards himself, dragging Ilse with it. Her green eyes widened in horror and she reached out in vain. [Fuck, fuck, _FUCK_.]

_'This is_ so _not how I wanna die.'_

Ilse watched as she neared the Ghoul before the Kagune was suddenly sliced in half, and she fell to the ground with a grunt.

Peering up through her haziness, she spotted the white coat of a fellow Investigator, and let out a sigh of relief. That sense of relief doubled when she caught sight of the Investigator's shock of pink hair, a grin lighting up on her face; there was only one person with that shade of hair. " _Hairu_!" Ilse cried out, disbelief colouring her tone.

Ihei Hairu landed with a clack of her heels, sparing a glance over her shoulder and a sly smile. "Ilse-senpai," she greeted smoothly, the same butchered pronunciation of Ilse's name and all. "Fancy meeting you here."

Several more Investigators came piling in, blocking off both ends of the passage and easily defeating the Ghoul that Ilse had spent so long struggling against. Hairu's Quinque faded away, and her grip returning on the briefcase as she walked towards the older woman and senior Investigator. She offered her hand for Ilse to take and the blonde thanked the pinkette with a small smile of her own.

"Thanks, thought I was a goner there." Ilse chuckled as if it were a joke, but both Investigators knew she was telling the truth. If not for Hairu's last-minute rescue; Ilse could have very well met her end at the hands of a two nobody-Ghouls.

" _Mah_ , that was a little sad, Senpai." Hairu teased, beautiful purple eyes glittering in amusement. "Almost dying at the hands of a B-Rank Ghoul, _pathetic_. Especially for a fellow kid of the Garden."

Ilse knew there was no ill intent behind Hairu's words, so she paid no mind to them. In all honesty, Ilse could have done worse, especially accordingly to the Investigator who approached her next.

"Well, well. Rank 1 Lorenz Ilse." Unlike Hairu, Mado Kureo pronounced her name fluently in an eerie tone that caused Ilse's head to snap to him in attention.

"First Class Mado Kureo-san," Ilse smiled politely. "'M guessin' it was you who got the message?"

Hairu had already shed her coat, wrapping it around her senpai's wounded shoulder in a makeshift bandage for the time being. Kureo approached them with a slight swag, widened eyes lingering on Hairu [who shivered slightly unintentionally] before landing on the wounded Investigator.

"Hmm, yes." He drawled, eyes darting around the room ever so often. His greasy, straggled hair hung down his bony face as he smirked, "Seems like we made it _just_ in time."

Ilse was never a person to dislike others or hold personal grudges, but there had always been something about Mado Kureo that rubbed her the wrong way. She had never been able to be in the same room with him for too long. He was just, _strange_.

"You're quite lucky, I was on my way to the 20th Ward. I'm being deployed there, Rank 2 Ihei Hairu happened to be nearby." He gestured towards the small party of other Investigators, "And these Rank 3 Investigators were happy to come and save you."

The way he said it, 'save you', was clearly meant as a subtle jab. Perhaps, to another, it would have agitated them. But the insult went right over Ilse's head, who had little concept of shame. "Thank you," she smiled airily. "I got stuff to do later so I can't die now."

"Ah, with the Reaper, I assume?" Unlike others, Kureo had observed Kishou's unusual favouritism to Ilse and linked it back to their obvious place of origin. "You children of the Garden are always such… _impressive_ specimen."'

It was unusual for people outside of the Sunlit Garden to even mention the Sunlit Garden. Even now, her superiors [who were the direct reason most of them were even from the Garden] strayed away from discussing it too heavily. However, it seemed that Kureo shared in Ilse's lack of subtly, often taunting others blatantly.

"Pretty much," Ilse shrugged, smiling. "But I do gotta go and get this dealt with." Gesturing to her bandaged shoulder with her free hand.

"Of course, of course."

Ilse turned back to Hairu, handing back her coat before flinging her uninjured arm around the girl. Ignoring the blood seeping into her uniform [which wasn't much due to how shallow the wound was], Hairu wrapped her arms back around the girl's waist. Despite their lack of contact, Hairu had always been someone Ilse appreciated growing up, always admiring the younger girl's sheer charisma and talent.

"See ya later, Hairu-chan." Ilse squeezed her tight, before letting her go. Hairu muttered a cheerful farewell before the blonde turned and offered a hand to Kureo.

"Good luck in the 20th Ward, Kureo-san!" Ilse smiled when he clasped his hand in hers, briefly noting the feel of a ring beneath his glove. "Thanks again for ya help."

He bowed his head politely, wide, unblinking eyes never breaking contact for a second. "Of course, Rank 1 Lorenz."

Ilse smiled one last time, then scurried off. She found a medic stationed nearby and allowed them to treat her wound properly. During the process, someone approached her for a statement, and she gave perhaps an overly detailed recount. With the promise to write up a full report on the incident, she was soon left alone, allowed to finally return home.

Having a scuffle with a Ghoul and ending up with stitches wasn't Ilse's first idea of spending her night when she left her apartment, but it was what she ended up with. She walked the streets of the 1st Ward, slowly but surely making her way back home, takeout long forgotten. Ilse clutched her shoulder as she walked, her umbrella tucked under her arm. She passed a shop window and sighed at her reflection in the window. Kishou's coat was ruined. It had a large tear in the sleeve, and blood stains that would be a bitch to get out. Small frays at the hem had come loose, likely from her meeting with the concrete, and made the new coat seem years older.

_'And now I gotta write a stupid report.'_ Ilse sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. _'This day sucks.'_

_'Maybe Kishou'll do it for me if I ask nicely.'_ She frowned, _'or maybe not. I_ did _kill his coat.'_

Ilse had a thirst for knowledge, and learning was always something that interested in her. But, the act of writing up a five thousand word report over a two-minute Ghoul encounter was the sort of thing that haunted her dreams. _'Maybe becoming an Investigator was a mistake.'_ She frowned, dreading what would become of what was left of her Friday night. ' _Paperwork is all I get to do these days.'_

Ilse arrived at her apartment later than usual, jamming her keys into the scratched up lock of her apartment door with more passive-aggressively than usual. The small scratches marked many previous drunken nights of balancing issues and uncontrollable laughter. The [annoyingly] expensive apartment in the 1st Ward was subjected to many a bad neighbour, but Ilse always managed to remain on friendly terms with the people next door; by ignoring their existence entirely.

Besides, she was usually too sore and too tired from Ghoul hunting to awaken at the sound of loud neighbours, typically snoring right through the late night parties. However, that didn't lessen the glare she received from the older gentleman across the hall, who scowled at the unpleasant noise Ilse made as she struggled to unlock her apartment.

"It's hard, okay?" She bit back, not looking over her shoulder as she huffed. A few seconds later, with a few more grunts, the door clicked open and Ilse went flying forward.

She found herself lying atop her Quinque [wasn't that on the couch?], reaching out a desperate hand to slam the door behind her, keys still clutched between her fingers. Ilse let out a deep sigh, flopping onto the ground with her arms outstretched. The young woman remained there for a few minutes, green eyes closed as she pondered just sleeping on the nice, cold floor.

[Nice floor, good floor]

The shrill sound of her ringing mobile cut off the moment and Ilse groaned audibly. Without getting up, she dug a hand into Kishou's coat, that she had yet to take off, and placed her phone to her ear.

[His coat is probably ruined.]

"Yo," her eyes remained closed and she hummed into the receiver.

No response came, at first, only the soft breathing of the person on the other end. Then, "yo?"

"I'm tryin' it out," a smile begun to tug up on her chapped lips. "Like it?"

"I suppose I don't dislike it." The cool, collected voice replied. A hint of amusement that Ilse recognised.

" _Naw_ , that's why you're the best, Brother." She sat up, grinning widely as she crinkled her eyes. "What's up? I thought you were in that meeting or whatever."

"It finished." He told her simply. "Two hours ago. I awaited the appropriate amount of time before calling to ensure I didn't interrupt you, but it seems you've only just returned home."

Ilse could feel a [Kishou] lecture coming on, her cheeks puffing out in retaliation even though he couldn't see it. She gently climbed to her feet, groaning at the strain it took on her exhausted body before she limped over towards the stingy, stained couch and collapsed onto it.

Her face sunk into the pillow with a satisfied sigh, as Kishou continued, "I thought I told you to return home, immediately."

"You never specificised the immediate bit," she grinned back. "Just got into a scuffle with some Ghouls, no biggie."

" _Specified_." He corrected without a moment's hesitation, and she knew he was frowning on his end of things.

Ilse didn't respond merely tugging on her bottom lip with her finger as she waited patiently for his reply. Kishou tutted in annoyance, unknowingly bringing a wide smile to Ilse's face [ _he's so damn cute_ ].

"I'm in tip-top shape, Kishou." Ilse smiled cheekily, "So you can stop crying now."

Satisfied, he changed the subject, "Did you get in contact with Kichimura-kun?"

While Souta had always hated Kishou, the man had nothing against the child [because to him, to everyone, Souta was still just a child]. Even going so far as to address Souta by the name he had chosen for himself, whereas Ilse preferred to use the name his mother bestowed upon him.

"Yep," Ilse popped the 'p'.

"Did you discover why he was avoiding you?" There was a slight scratching on Kishou's side as if he was writing something down.

"You sure I should be botherin' you when your working, Brother?" Ilse frowned slightly. The last thing she'd want would be to get in the way of Kishou completing his paperwork. Also, the thought of paperwork gave Ilse unwanted flashbacks, so she'd rather just avoid paperwork all together, despite the fact she now had her own to complete.

"It's fine," he told her. "I am simply going over the briefings from the meeting."

"Ooh, anything interesting?" Ilse threw one arm back, the uninjured one, and stretched out across the couch.

"Nothing to you."

Despite the dull nature of their phone calls, Ilse never tired of them. They had begun to become a frequent occurrence, Kishou himself calling at least twice a month, and even answering when she called twenty times a month [instead of ignoring her, like Souta did]. She enjoyed their meaningless conversations, especially since she had spent literal years convincing Kishou to actually partake in them.

If it had been maybe four, five years ago Ilse was dead certain Kishou wouldn't have even picked up his phone, maybe even scolding her properly for ruining her new coat [which was just an older one of Kishou's that he'd outgrown and given to her] instead of lightly chastising her.

_'If we're thinking 'bout the past, Souta would so be blowing up my phone righta 'bout now.'_ Ilse pouted, imagining a much younger Souta tottering behind her like a little duckling, a far cry from the creepy 'beam messaging man' that he was today.

"I forgot to ask," Ilse trailed off, shifting upwards into a sitting position. "What'd ya need again, anyway?"

"Ah." Kishou seemed to remember, the light scratching of his pen ceasing. Ilse waited patiently as she listened to him open his desk drawer, wondering what he was doing at the sound of him fumbling through papers.

The rustling stopped. "Kamii University."

Ilse sighed, hand reaching up to tangle in her hair. "Should've expected you'd find out."

"You had one of the Rank 3 Investigators deliver it to my office." He informed her, ignoring the slight squeak of his desk chair easing backwards as he did. "It's a pamphlet of their annual open day, with some of the courses circled in a pink highlighter."

Her light eyebrow furrowed, face contorting into a look of confusion as she frowned. "I did?" Ilse tried to search through her memories, but she drew nothing but a blank. "Can't remember that far back."

"Are you interested in attending some of the courses there?" Kishou asked, the gentle sound of pages turning filling the silence of her pause.

"I dunno," Ilse admitted, sinking back into the couch with a small frown. "I kinda got it on a whim, I don't think I'm good enough to get into Kamii."

"You're a perfectly acceptable student," Kishou told her. "Any issues you have can be fixed. Your position at CCG would also guarantee entry, and you're at a good enough place financially that reverting back to part-time would not affect you too drastically. I see no reason for you not to go, it would be a good opportunity."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Ilse trailed off. "It's just that I never even went to High School, I don't think I'm good enough for a normal Uni, let alone _the_ Kamii."

"Then why did you pick up the pamphlet?"

"I dunno," she answered honestly.

Kishou was silent for a few moments, the only sound echoing through the phone was his desk chair squeaking as he leaned forward, pen clattering to the desk. "It is true your education was limited to a general Middle School level, however, you yourself are not at that level."

"How do you know that?" Ilse relaxed into the couch, half sitting. "Even with all that extra tutoring you gave me, it still won't be enough."

"Then I'll have to teach you more," he stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Teach me? Kishou, that stuff was when we were kids!" Ilse stared at the phone, eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "You're a big shot now, you ain't got time to teach me Maths."

"Then don't take a mathematics course."

"Kishou, be serious." Ilse chided, trying to stop herself from smiling. "I can't do this—"

"Why did you bring me this, then?"

She faltered, green eyes fluttering, stunned. "I… I dunno! Stop asking me that already!" She furrowed her brow, "It's confusing me now."

"Attend the open day, gather some information, and _then_ make your decision." Kishou concluded, "If you choose to attend, I'll assist in ways I can but I won't do the work for you. We could even restart the book club."

" _Ugh_ , not the book club again." Ilse whined, "I love you brother, but I've never been more confused in my life than when I joined that book club!"

She could practically _hear_ Kishou smiling, "It is a way to improve your literature skills."

"My literature skills are fine!"

"I'm afraid I must disagree."

Ilse pouted, feeling a little more than insulted. But, she knew he was only teasing her, and couldn't resist smiling at his relaxed attitude. Kishou had always been a stiff child, one that required years of training to even trigger a smile on his rock of a face. Yes, turning Kishou into a functioning human being was a life-long project of Ilse's; one that was finally starting to pay off.

"Oh, Kishou!" Ilse suddenly remembered, sitting up straighter. "I almost forgot." She peered down at his ruined coat, frowning guilty. "I kinda… killed your coat."

The other line went silent for a bit. Ilse blinked, glancing sideways. "Brother?"

Kishou let out a long, tired sigh. One that made Ilse's face heat up, now a little embarrassed by her careless actions. "…sorry," she winced. "I shoulda taken more care of it."

"It's fine." He reassured her, "But you will have to purchase me a new one."

"Deal." Ilse grinned, quickly brightening up as she began swaying back and forth in a giddy manner.

"I should end the call now," Kishou told her. "It's late and you should rest."Glancing up at the clock on her wall, Ilse saw that it was barely past eight. But she didn't protest, knowing he had work to finish.

_'Oh, work! That's right.'_

"Hey, before you go."

Kishou hummed, "What is it?"

"Reckon you can do my report for me? I can't be—" She was cut off by the dull, robotic hum of the dial tone.

A wide grin spread across her freckled face as she burst out into fits of laughter, tears instantly filling her eyes as she fell backwards, overwhelmed by sheer amusement. Ilse's phone slipped from her hand as she laughed, clutching both her stomach and shoulder. Once she calmed down, she picked back up her phone and stared at the contact screen. Ilse was tempted to send him a final text but decided to leave it be.

_'I'll let him have this one,'_ She smirked, chuckling softly.

Ilse's thumb scrolled through her contacts, hovering over one in particular with a bit of a sad smile. She contemplated doing anything, but in the end, clicked in and started typing.

**8:03 PM:** Next time u see me I might actually be a uni kid ;)

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**Read: 8:17 PM**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Ages:
> 
> Hairu Ihei - 17/18. Still fresh out of the Sunlit Garden. Rank 2 Investigator.
> 
> Arima Kishou - 27/28. Basically the same. Special Class Investigator.
> 
> Mado Kureo - Unknown; I'd put it at 40/50 based on how old Akira is. First Class Investigator
> 
> Furuta-Washuu Souta - 19/20. His joining of CCG is never specified. But I'd put him at Rank 2 Investigator.
> 
> Kaneki Ken - 18/19. Pre-Falling-Beam days. 100% human and enjoying life. Civilian.
> 
> Lorenz Ilse - 24/25. Not fresh out of the academy, finally starting to get recognition and promotions despite working for the CCG for almost a decade. Rank 1 Investigator.

**Author's Note:**

> Ilse pronounced IHL-SAH


End file.
